Record Year Despite a More Challenging Market Environment at groninger

“We know that this success cannot be taken for granted, which makes us all the more pleased with this result,” says Volker Groninger, Managing Partner of the groninger Group. “We are grateful to operate in a market that continues to offer a comparatively high degree of stability. Nevertheless, we still have to earn every single order,” adds Jens Groninger, Managing Partner and CEO of the groninger Group. 

The brothers emphasize that they are both proud and deeply grateful for what employees across the globe accomplished together over the past year.

While the new machinery business remained at a high level despite growing restraint in investment spending, the service business once again proved its value as a reliable pillar of the company’s success. “Particularly in more challenging economic times, the importance of long-term partnerships and dependable support throughout the entire lifecycle of a production line becomes even more evident,” Jens Groninger stresses.

“A machine is only as good as the support behind it. Our customers know they can rely on groninger long after commissioning. Delivering on that promise every day is what makes our service business so successful,” Volker Groninger adds.

The international footprint of the groninger Group also continued to be a key foundation of its positive business performance in 2025. The regional distribution of total output remained largely unchanged, with around 60 percent generated in Europe, approximately 30 percent in North and South America, and the remaining 10 percent in Africa and Asia.

“The experiences of recent years have confirmed that our strategy is the right one: to continuously expand our presence in the world’s most important markets,” says Jens Groninger.

And 2025 saw several major milestones in this regard. With an investment of more than USD 14 million, groninger broke ground on a new headquarters for groninger USA in Charlotte, North Carolina. The new facility will create additional capacity and strengthen proximity to customers throughout North America, fully aligned with the company’s consistent local-for-local strategy.

“We want to grow where our customers are growing,” says Jens Groninger. “Our expansion in the United States is not only an investment in buildings and infrastructure, but above all in long-term customer proximity. This will become even more important in the years ahead, particularly in the U.S. market.”

Significant milestones were also reached at the company’s headquarters in Crailsheim. Construction began on a new assembly hall, marking the start of the largest investment project in the history of the groninger Group. More than €30 million are being invested in the new 7,000-square-meter facility. Earthworks were completed in 2025, and since the beginning of this year, the building has visibly taken shape. The façade work has now been completed, and work is currently underway on the technical infrastructure before interior fit-out begins shortly.

These additional production capacities will provide the foundation for further growth. They are also becoming increasingly necessary. “The pharmaceutical lines we build in Crailsheim are becoming larger and more complex, with some production lines extending several meters in both length and height. This is also driven by the growing importance of turnkey projects, where we assume full responsibility for engineering, construction, installation, and validation as the general contractor,” explains Jens Groninger.

“Customers increasingly expect complete process solutions from a single source. The market is evolving, and we are evolving with it,” confirms Volker Groninger.

Another important step in this direction was the acquisition of Reinraumtechnik Ulm (RTU) by the groninger Group last year. By integrating the cleanroom technology specialist, the company is further strengthening its position as a comprehensive systems provider. “Over the past several years, our customers have repeatedly told us that they would like us to expand our portfolio. With the acquisition of RTU, we have responded decisively to that demand,” says Jens Groninger. The next step is to continue integrating the company into the Group, structurally, operationally, technically, and culturally. “This does not happen overnight. It is a process that we will continue to shape together,” he adds.

Alongside all its economic achievements, 2025 was also marked by a profound personal loss. The groninger Group bid a heartfelt farewell to its founder, Horst Groninger. His entrepreneurial courage, innovative spirit, and guiding values shaped groninger and remain the foundation of the family business to this day.

“Our father built groninger with great passion, entrepreneurial vision, and an unwavering belief in innovation and humanity,” say Jens and Volker Groninger. “We are deeply grateful for his life’s work. It is both our responsibility and our motivation to continue developing the company in his spirit.”

Development and transformation will therefore continue to shape the groninger Group in the years ahead. Market dynamics are already changing noticeably today.

“Highly customized machinery will remain indispensable wherever new technologies are being developed and innovation is required. At the same time, many applications increasingly call for modular, standardized, and scalable solutions that can be implemented more quickly while still meeting the highest quality and regulatory standards,” says Jens Groninger.

groninger intends to actively shape this transformation. Across the organization, interdisciplinary teams are working to adapt structures, processes, and ways of working to future requirements. The goal is to combine the company’s proven strengths with the expectations of a changing market through greater modularity, increased speed, and enhanced flexibility, without losing sight of the innovative power that has always defined its custom-engineering expertise.

“Change is never an end in itself,” Jens Groninger emphasizes. “It must make sense and be embraced by the people who drive it. That is why we are deliberately bringing our employees along on this journey. We want to shape the future through dialogue and collaboration so that, in the years ahead, we can continue to celebrate shared successes like those we achieved in 2025.”